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I write this comment for the purpose of informing other parents who, like me, may be borrowing this for their children to watch. I borrowed this for my daughter, but after reading the booklet and watching it a bit, I decided to return it. Though a child may not pick up on it, I did not care for the homosexual relationship between the Poet (storyteller) and the Prince. The Little Mermaid is supposed to be representative of the Poet and his love for another man, who he loses to the Princess, thus why the Little Mermaid dies in the end. I also did not care for the music, which was mysterious and foreboding, and caused my daughter to repeatedly ask, "What's wrong?"

I loved the underwater scenes. They were as magical as the story created by Hans Christian Andersen. The Little Mermaid was elegant, playful, and, well, fluid. Her physical expression was very moving. The Sea Witch also deserves a mention. He was visually arresting and powerful.

The music, however, was discordant and overpowered several scenes. It was a distraction. I understand that the purpose of the music was to reflect the Little Mermaid's inner turmoil, but it was too much for me.